Enabling and Shaping Decommissioning Alternatives in Malaysia

This paper is to demonstrate the significance of structured planning, holistic assessment and synergies, as key value drivers in enabling and shaping decommissioning alternatives leading to sustainable decommissioning and circular economy. PETRONAS as the regulator of Malaysia's Upstream activities manage decommissioning obligations through Production Sharing Contracts, internal guidelines and other relevant procedures and standards. The Decommissioning Options Assessment (DOA) is the process used to land on the most feasible option. Throughout PETRONAS’ 18-year decommissioning journey thus far, decommissioning projects were successfully executed using various alternatives. The valuable learnings gained are applied to further strengthen our decommissioning processes in regulating, enabling and shaping future executions at the lowest cost with safety of life and protection of the environment as our utmost priority. Upon a decision to proceed with decommissioning, a gated technical review process is used as the governing process to ensure safety, protection to the environment and cost efficiency. It is during this gated technical review that DOA is conducted. The output from the DOA is deliberated within the ambit of five (5) key criteria, i.e. Health, Safety & Security, Environment, Society, Technical & Operational, and Economy. Upon completion of execution, lessons learnt coupled with findings from post-decommissioning surveys are analyzed and applied to future projects. Synergies and collaborations are key drivers in shaping sustainable and replicable alternative decommissioning solutions. PETRONAS continuously pursues strategic collaborations with all stakeholders, including but not limited to, government ministries/agencies, academia, and industry players to tap into global decommissioning solutions, scientific researches, technologies, and best practices. This key lever will be discussed in the paper. From actual experiences, supported by studies, it is evident that decommissioning alternatives, including Rigs-to-Reef, add value in terms of marine habitat protection, biodiversity enhancement, fish aggregation, etc. It has also contributed positively to the livelihoods and well-being of society. Re-using platforms for new field development maximizes value by extending the platform's useful life. In addition, PETRONAS also advocates the ‘design for decommissioning’ mindset during a field's development phase in achieving a robust life cycle cost. PETRONAS further believes the values gained from these decommissioning alternatives will contribute to the decommissioning ecosystem in Malaysia. Moving forward, PETRONAS aspires to elevate the sustainable decommissioning model with the mindset that, ‘no single piece of an abandoned structure goes to waste’. There is a need to mature studies, collaborations and supply chain readiness in realizing more options on the 3Rs (Reduce, Re-use and Recycle).

Productivity and Distribution of Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs) in Outer Ambon Bay Waters, Indonesia

Distribution of small pelagis fish in FADs, and produktivity of FADs in AmFADs are usually used by fishermen to concentrate fish for an efficient catching activity. However, the number, distance, and distribution in the waters need to be assessed in relation to the productivity of the FADs in order to maintain the sustainability. This study was aimed to map the distribution of FADs; to analyze the distribution of species, number and size of fish associated with FADs; and to calculate FAD productivity based on distribution in the Outer Ambon Bay waters. Data was obtained by observation and interview. Field observation, including: coordinates and number of FADs, species, number and size of fish. The distance and distribution of FADs, was mapped using software (Argis web), while the productivity of FADs was analyzed base on catch per unit effort (CPUE). The result, FAD in Outer Ambon Bay waters was found 25 unit and the average distance of FAD was obtained 0.47 nautical miles, and the placement of the device was irregular. The placement pattern of FADs were generally straight to coastline. Small pelagic fish was found 7 species and the 5 of the dominant species were obtained Decapterus sp, Selar crumenophthalmus, Rastreliger sp, Sardinella sp and Selaroides sp. The species were unevenly spread at each FAD with quite varied sizes. FAD productivity showed that the highest productivity was found in the middle group FAD at Ambon Bay waters.Keywords: Distance, size, small pelagis, productivitybon Bay

Design, construction, and deployment of an affordable and long-lasting moored deep-water fish aggregation device

ABSTRACTFish aggregation devices (FADs) are used worldwide to enhance the efficiency of various fisheries. Devices usually consist of a floating or subsurface component designed to exploit natural fish behavior, using species’ attraction to structure (e.g. Sargassum spp.) to aggregate fish and increase capture success in open ocean environments. Concerns have arisen regarding the scale and management of FAD-associated fisheries, however, the efficiency of FADs to accumulate fish species also introduces the possibility for FADs to be used as conservation tools to study pelagic species ecology. Building on two successful and several failed deployments of anchored deep-water (>500 m) subsurface (10 m) FADs over three years in The Bahamas, and observations from the subsequent FAD monitoring program, the objectives of the paper are to: 1) provide details and considerations for the design, construction and deployment of an affordable and durable deep-water subsurface FAD that can be deployed using small boats; and 2) highlight the potential for a long-lasting moored FAD to be used as a sustainable and reliable scientific platform for pelagic species research and conservation, lending specifically to several research applications. This information will be useful for assessing the impacts that FADs and other anthropogenic marine infrastructure have on wild marine species, and their efficacy for conserving pelagic fish through increased encounters for study.

New fish species added to the ichthyofauna of Laguna Ojo de Liebre, Baja California Sur, México

The Laguna Ojo de Liebre (Scammon’s lagoon) is the iconic sanctuary of the Pacific gray whale and belongs to the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve in Baja California, México. From June 2015 to August 2016, six seasonal visits were conducted on the ichthyofauna in seven sites of the lagoon. By diving, trapping, hook & line, and gillnet commercial fishing, a total number of 39 fish species was identified belonging to 25 families. In this study a total number of eight fish species is added to the first two existing 20-year-old lists: the Gymnothorax mordax (Ayres, 1859), Apogon sp. Pomacanthus zonipectus (Gill, 1862), Balistes polylepis (Steindachner, 1876), Pareques viola (Gilbert 1898), Caranx sp., Sphoeroides lobatus (Steindachner, 1870), and the Icelinus sp. During 2015-2016, two anomalous events warmed the lagoon, and possibly, it contributed to the fish species movement from the adjacent tropical or subtropical zones. Ichthyofauna from Laguna Ojo de Liebre is reported here before the installation of reef modules as a refuge for red lobster and fish aggregation.

Experimental demonstration of catch hyperstability from habitat aggregation, not effort sorting, in a recreational fishery

The relationship between angler catch rates and fish abundance can contribute to or hinder sustainable exploitation of fisheries depending on whether catch rates are proportional to fish abundance or are hyperstable. We performed a whole-ecosystem experiment in which fish abundance was manipulated and paired with weekly angler catch rate estimates from controlled experimental fishing. Catch rates were hyperstable (β = 0.47) in response to changes in fish abundance. By excluding effort sorting (i.e., catch rates remaining high because less skilled anglers leave the fishery as abundance declines), our experiment isolated the influence of fish aggregation as a driver of hyperstability. Spatial analysis of catch locations did not identify clustering around specific points, suggesting that loose aggregation to preferred habitat at the scale of the entire littoral zone was enough to maintain stable catch rates. In our study, general, non-spawning, habitat preferences created loose aggregations for anglers to target, which was sufficient to generate hyperstability. Habitat preferences are common to nearly all fishes and widely known to anglers, suggesting that many harvest-oriented recreational fisheries can be expected to exhibit hyperstability.